


Softball and Leather Jackets

by thekatthatbarks



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/F, Rom-com
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2019-04-04 05:52:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14013585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thekatthatbarks/pseuds/thekatthatbarks
Summary: Sakura had barely spoken to her, but she could tell – she knew, Yamanaka Ino would be the death of her.





	Softball and Leather Jackets

 

                “Sakura.” A voice called out to her, but it was practically muffled with how much of her attention was focused on someone else. She felt a finger touch her lips and it shocked her back to reality. She glared at Naruto as he laughed. “You’re _drooling_.”

 

                She felt her cheeks warm but didn’t drop her glare. “I am _not_.”

 

                Naruto rolled his eyes and shared a look with Sasuke across the table. Sasuke smirked and asked her for the dozenth time, “Why are you scared of Yamanaka Ino so much, again?”

 

                Sakura huffed and stabbed at her sorry excuse for a lunch. “I’m not _scared_ of her.”

 

                “Then, go _talk_ to her,” Sasuke challenged her, knowing she won’t, because he was just that much of an asshole.

 

                Naruto joined in, but he tried to be more encouraging than mocking. He shook her shoulder. “Sakura-chan, I _know_ Ino. She’s really nice. She’s not going to like blow you off or whatever you think she might do.”

 

                Sakura grumbled under her breath and didn’t meet either of her friend’s eyes, “Maybe she’s just like that to _you_.”

 

                Her eyes wandered across the cafeteria to land on Ino again like they had a habit of doing. She was just so _beautiful_. She looked like a fallen angel ready to smite them all to oblivion. She always left her hair down, never bothering to do anything with it. Not that she _needed_ to; it was straight and silky, and Sakura’s fingers itched to reach out and see how soft it was. It was long and blond, swaying with her hips as she walked. She always wore this matte black eyeliner that was sharper than knives. Her lips were painted in a deep red and Sakura fantasized about how they would taste. Her skin was more on the pale side, but she made it work, contrasting it with her dark clothes. She had a maroon crop top on today with ripped jeans and her beloved heeled lace-up boots that she always wore. Sakura could see fishnets peeking through the holes in her jeans and hugging her waist below her belly button that was _pierced_.

 

                Sakura had barely spoken to her, but she could tell – she _knew_ , Yamanaka Ino would be the death of her.

 

                Sakura had seen her laugh before with her friends but usually she had this set frown on her face like she hated the world and would stab anyone that dared come near her. Sakura didn’t know how to feel about her beyond her unwavering attraction to her. Naruto talked about her like she was the sweetest person he’d ever met but Sakura had seen how people hurriedly got out of her way as she walked, how space was always made for her wherever she went. She remembered one time, Ino had slapped Hidan in the middle of the hallway then walked away without another glance at him. Hidan had tried to shrug it off, but Kiba had told her he had to go to the nurse’s office later because he felt dizzy.

 

                Yeah, Sakura didn’t really know how to feel about her, but she knew how she _wanted_ to feel about her. She wanted to know her, she just didn’t know _how_ to.

 

***

                Sakura had been leaving the locker rooms after softball practice when she spotted her. She was leaning against the wall outside with her leg angled like she was posing for Vogue magazine. She was surprised for a second to not see a cigarette nestled between her lips because it would just complete the image so perfectly, but then she remembered seeing Ino knock a cigarette out of Shikamaru’s hand the other day when she passed by them. She seemed to have a _No smoking_ thing going on which must be hard with Nara Shikamaru as a best friend.

 

                Sakura cut off the rambling in her head in embarrassment. _Maybe she paid a little too much attention to her…_

Sakura didn’t know why she was there. She didn’t think Ino was friends with any of the other players and she hadn’t seen her around there before. But it was the best opportunity to talk to her if she was ever going to. She was alone, there wasn’t really a lot of people around, and Ino looked so peaceful gazing out across the field in front of them. It’d be so _easy_ …

 

                Then, Ino smiled down at her phone and Sakura chickened out, turning on her heel.

 

                She didn’t get very far though when she heard someone call out to her, “Hey, Sakura, wait!”

 

                Sakura’s heart skipped a beat and she looked over her shoulder in disbelief. There was Ino, smiling at _her_ and walking over to _her_ , shoving her phone into a pocket of her leather jacket. Sakura turned around slowly, her feet feeling heavy. She had to be talking to someone else. _But she’d said Sakura…_

Sakura pointed at her chest dumbly, looking at her confused and Ino chuckled when she finally crossed the few feet to reach her. “Yes, _you_.”

 

                Sakura cleared her throat and tried to keep her voice casual. “Um…”

 

                _Smooth, Sakura, real smooth._

Ino was smiling at her almost in amusement and then she said, “Sorry to catch you after you just finished practice. I know you’re probably tired, but I had a favor to ask you.” She bit her lip and raised an eyebrow and Sakura swore that she’d give this woman anything she asked.

 

                Sakura nodded, her head almost dizzy with the amount of thoughts rushing through it. _Catch her? Did she know she was in softball…?_ But that’d mean she knew who _Sakura_ was and that couldn’t…

 

                Ino reached into her backpack and pulled out – _Naruto’s hoodie?_ She handed it to Sakura with an apologetic look. “Can you give this to Naruto? I would, but I don’t know where he lives and I’m sure _you_ do since you guys are always together. He told me you grew up together.”

 

                Sakura looked down at the orange hoodie in her hands, feeling slow as molasses. “Uh…”

 

                Ino kept talking, seemingly unaffected by Sakura acting like an idiot who couldn’t have a proper conversation. “It’s just – I know it’s important to him. His dad bought it for him before he died or something – I don’t exactly remember. He forgot it in Shikamaru’s truck when they went out for lunch and I just didn’t want to wait until tomorrow in case he was freaking out or – Naruto seems like a really sentimental guy, so…”

 

                Sakura looked back up at Ino with a small smile, feeling both touched for Naruto’s sake and amused by Ino turning into a rambling mess in front of her. She got her tongue back to working order and told her, “Yeah, sure, Ino. That’s really thoughtful of you. I’ll be sure to drop by his place on my way home.”

 

                Ino looked at her relieved and reached out to grab her shoulder. “That’s great. Thank you, Sakura.”

 

                Sakura had to ask even though her nerves were telling her not to. “You know, I didn’t think you even knew who I was?”

 

                Ino looked at her confused with a small laugh. _It was such sweet laugh._ “Are you serious? Of course, I know who you are. Who doesn’t?”

 

                _Oh._ Sakura felt her cheeks redden and a sour taste in her mouth. “I – I, uh, know what people say, but I’m not dating Sasuke if that’s what you’ve heard.” Everyone liked to assume things without asking. It was probably why Sakura didn’t have too many girl friends. She’d grown up with Sasuke and Naruto, they were her best friends but that was the end of it. She’d always hated that she had a reputation just for being tied to either of them.

 

                Ino snorted as she zipped her backpack back up. “I know.” When she met Sakura’s eyes again, her smile widened. “Oh, come on, Sakura. You’re the star of the softball team and you walk around with bright pink hair. Do you honestly think you don’t turn a few heads?”

 

                Sakura choked back a sound in her throat as she felt herself blush. _Turn a few heads…?_ She glanced away from Ino’s bright eyes and scratched the back of her head. She didn’t know what to say to that.

 

                Ino rolled her eyes at her but it was almost fondly. Sakura felt so thrown off with Ino’s personality. _Naruto had been right along_ and if that wasn’t something Sakura thought she’d ever think. It just made her nerves worse, though. Now, she was starting to like her for _who_ she was and not just what she looked like. She didn’t want this to be the only time they ever talked, but Sakura didn’t know exactly what to do to prevent that.

 

                Ino gestured to the parking lot and winked at her. “Come on. I’ll walk you to your car.”

 

                Sakura’s blush deepened, and she admitted with an embarrassed smile, “I actually don’t have a car. My mom has to come and pick me up.”

 

                “Oh.” Ino’s face fell a bit and then she asked, “Is she on her way? I’ll wait with you until she gets here. It wouldn’t be polite to leave a beautiful girl to wait by herself in a parking lot in the dark.”

 

                _Her face was probably redder than Ino’s lipstick now._

 

                Sakura shook her head. “No, I haven’t called her yet – “

 

                “In that case, I’ll take you home,” Ino decided with a lopsided grin and started walking towards the parking lot without another word.

 

Sakura followed after her with a small panic. “Ino, you don’t have – “

 

                Ino shrugged at her, not stopping. “You’d have to go by Naruto’s anyways. I might as well take you since it was my idea.”

 

                Sakura didn’t know how to argue that and then she wondered if _anyone_ knew how to win an argument with Ino. She didn’t seem like the type to back down. Sakura slid in to Ino’s small purple car with a bitten smile and her heart racing.

 

                Ino glanced at her with a wide smile before backing out of the parking lot. Sakura gave her the directions to Naruto’s house after shooting a text to her mother that she got a ride. They didn’t say much and while Sakura still had her stomach twisted in knots, it was nice. Ino didn’t have the radio too loud, but she sang along softly to the music. It was endearing, especially when she’d look over at Sakura with a smile as she sang cheesy lines.

 

                When they finally got to Naruto’s, Naruto was opening his front door and jogging to his beat-up car parked in the driveway. Ino chuckled beside her as she parked. “Looks like we got here in the nick of time.”              

 

                Sakura nodded before getting out of the car and trying to catch Naruto before he drove off. He’d already started reversing but slammed on the brakes when he saw her. He rolled down his window. “Sakura-chan, what –“ His eyes fell on the hoodie in her hands and then parked the car hurriedly and got out, taking it from her. He looked down at it with a grin and then back at her. “Sakura! I can’t believe – where did you – “

 

                He looked over at the parked car she came in and saw Ino waving at him. He turned back to Sakura with a wolfish grin. “I see someone finally got over their nerves.”

 

                Sakura hit him in the shoulder playfully. “Oh, shut up. Ino caught me after practice, talking about your hoodie. You left it in Shikamaru’s truck.”

 

                Naruto rolled his eyes at her and then looked back down at his hoodie, cuddling it to his chest. His smile softened. “Thank you, guys. I really – I couldn’t even remember where I’d taken it off.”

 

                Sakura shrugged at him with a smile. “It’s no problem, Naruto. Just be more careful so you don’t lose it. Not everyone’s as nice as Ino.”

 

                Naruto looked back up at her at that and raised an eyebrow. “So, you think she’s _nice_ now?”

 

                Sakura blushed and started walking away from him. She muttered her reply, “Yeah, Naruto, she’s _nice_.”

 

                She could still hear him laughing when she got back into Ino’s car. Ino looked over at her curiously. “What was that about?”

 

                Sakura shook her head and didn’t meet her eyes. “Nothing. He said thank you for the hoodie.”

 

                Ino glanced back over at Naruto leaning against his car and gave him one last wave before driving off. She didn’t say much as Sakura told her where to turn to get to her house and Sakura started to feel that panic again that she might never speak to this wonderful person again.

 

                When Ino parked in front of her house, Sakura didn’t immediately get out, though she did unbuckled her seat belt. _It was now or never._ She kept her eyes glued to the dashboard as she blurted out, “He was teasing me.”

 

                Ino looked at her confused. “What?”

 

                Sakura steeled her nerves before turning to her and explaining, “Earlier, Naruto – that’s why he was laughing.”

 

                “Oh.” Ino obviously had no idea where this was going, but she went along with it. “What was he teasing you about?”

 

                “You.” Sakura could feel her cheeks warm, but she forced herself to not look away from Ino. _God, how many times had she blushed today because of her?_

Ino let out a surprised laugh. “ _Me_?”

 

                “Yeah, I sort of have a crush on you,” Sakura admitted, feeling her heart beat harshly inside her chest.

 

                Ino’s face softened and she was smiling widely now. “You _sort of_ have a crush on me?”

 

                Sakura gestured helplessly at her like it explained everything. “Well, yeah.”

 

                Ino turned her body towards her with one arm resting on the steering wheel. “Why didn’t you, I don’t know, try and talk to me or something?”

 

                Sakura cringed and let out a humorless chuckle, looking down at her lap and playing with her fingers. “You’re just – and I’m – you’re a little intimidating, you know?”

 

                Ino sighed and Sakura risked a glance at her. “Why does everyone say that?”

 

                Sakura laughed and cocked an eyebrow at her. “Ino, you’re really beautiful and you have this whole kicking-ass-and-taking-names thing going on.”

 

                Ino looked down at her outfit and Sakura’s eyes followed hers. She was even more breathtaking up close. Sakura was suddenly reminded how _she_ looked. She just had a t-shirt on with cut off blue jeans and beat up sneakers. Her hair was probably a mess, tangled and wet from her shower. Sakura wasn’t like Ino. She didn’t carry a _presence_ with her wherever she went, and she certainly couldn’t charm girls into giving her the time of day. She felt her chest tighten and thought it’d be best if she escaped this conversation before she did something stupid – _like get herself out right rejected_.

 

                She opened her door and grabbed her bag. “Well, thanks for taking me home, Ino.” Then, she was out of the car before Ino could even protest.

 

                Sakura was walking up her drive to her front door just thinking about hiding her flaming face under her pillow until the apocalypse. _Stupid, stupid, stupid –_

 

                Suddenly, an arm grabbed hers and spun her around. Lips crashed against hers and then they were gone. If it wasn’t for the warmth they left behind and the smeared lipstick on Ino’s smile, Sakura would’ve thought she imagined it. Ino slipped her hand into Sakura’s and told her with a cheeky grin, “You’re really cute when you blush, you know that?”

 

                _Which just made Sakura’s blush grow darker._

 

                Ino chuckled and glanced away from her, admitting in a quiet voice, “I was scared to talk to you, too.”

 

                Sakura made a noise of disbelief and Ino looked back at her with a roll of her eyes. She stepped back, her fingers slowly leaving Sakura’s. “We’re going to have to work on that self-confidence, Sakura.”

 

                Sakura felt dazed as she watched Ino get back into her car looking satisfied. When she finally came to her senses, she walked over to her open window. “Ino, I –“

 

                Ino cut her off, “Can I take you out after your softball game tomorrow? We can go watch a movie or do something cheesy like watch the stars and profess our undying love for each other?”

 

                Sakura laughed and bit her lip, giving her a small nod. Ino grinned back then turned to switch her car into drive. Sakura was about to leave, but then realized something and asked, “So, does that mean you’re going to come to the game?”

 

                Ino chuckled and winked at her. “I always come to your games, Sakura.” Then, she drove off.

 

                Sakura stood there numbly on the sidewalk watching her car disappear at the corner. Her face probably matched her hair and she had smeared lipstick on her lips. She slowly turned back to her house, already thinking about laying on top of Ino’s car and pointing out constellations in the sky. She thought about a soft hand in hers and the smell of flowers, about _making silly promises in the cover of night_.

 

 

 


End file.
